Archive for February, 2014

All of us know that it is a big offence to go to bed without washing one’s face – right? And, if you ate not doing so then you are actually ruining your skin. The below mentioned are a few unforgivable common mistakes that most of us tend to do in our daily lives. And, if we actually put a ban on such things then for sure, your skin will thank you for that.

First Mistake – The first and foremost one is piling up your products. Agree it, we all have done so. You get to know some reviews about a product in magazine or television and you think – “it’s the right cream for me.” Before you’ve realized, the products have lined up your kitty like a big family. Applying all of these products is not only time consuming but you even run the risk of ruining your skin too. Skin experts have stated that as per your daily skin routine, you just need a cleanser, moisturizer, daily sunscreen, acne treatment or an anti-aging product. And, in case you are tempted to buy a new mask or cream then keep it out of sight so that you can use it occasionally. Also, toners and scrubs you can use it twice or thrice in a week.

Skimp on Sleep and Water: This is the second mistake that majority of us tend to make. Sleep and hydration are important for our skin. Not consuming the right amount of water can leave your skin looking thirsty giving it a dull and dry look. So, ensure to fill in at least 8 to 10 glasses of water every day. And if you can get it more, then even better. Also, hitting your bed on time is another way of adding the extra bit of glow to your face. Sleep is essential for flushing the blood volume to your skin. Look fresh and young by sleeping at least 7 – 8 hours a day. If you have not been doing so, try it all off late and seen the change in your skin.

Picking up products that promise too much: Like, when a single product says that says it can reduce wrinkles, minimize pores, moisturize and give clear skin too. Well, then one is automatically tempted to do so. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that a product can contain all these ingredients and live up to the claims. And, even if it does so, then it is probably a little harsh for your skin. Women tend to use products that multi task. And, if you are doing so then unfortunately you are choosing products that are actually harming your skin. When you check out the ingredient label, anything mentioned after the first 3 products will not do anything much. Therefore, stick to products that contain few ingredients targeting just few issues.

Next blunder is applying stuff inappropriately. Which product you apply first matters a lot. Also, which ones you combine and apply. Also in regards to the layering of products, you should first apply the treatment oriented product first. Like, in case if you are using a retinol or acne treatment cream then in such a scenario apply it before using a basic moisturizer. Also, consult your dermatologist when you are using more than a single product. Also, use the harsher products at night like retinols as they make your skin more sun sensitive.

Skipping the daily sunscreen: You definitely would have heard this a million times. But, this is actually worth repeating. One certainly must not miss out on using their daily sunscreen. Not only does it protect from sunburns and skin research but research also states that using sunscreen on a daily basis will make your skin look younger. You can go for a simple and protective light moisturizer with SPF 15 an oil free formula that can shield your skin against UVA and UVB rays. Also, if you plan to be in the sun for a longer period of time then ensure to go for something like SPF 30 and higher.

Leave your make – up when at the gym: It may not sound good to work out totally bare-faced, but that is going to be good for your skin. Even mineral make –up formulas that say that they do not clog pores can also break out after a sweat session. At the most, you can just apply a basic tinted moisturizer. Just ensure, that it is oil-free!

Now that is certainly a good list of skin care tips that you must follow. Try the above and see the difference in just no time!

And, if yes, then how! Although, the question does sound a little peculiar but studies have actually proven it that playing bingo can actually lead to longevity and good health. Few months ago, there was this story that made to headline about a 105 year old woman addicted to playing bingo. And, it seems at the age of 105 she still continued to put forth a bubbly personality. People wondered the reasons for this wonderful attitude put forth by the lady and most of them concluded it to playing bingo that probably also helped longevity. However, there are no scientific evidences that prove the above but there are quite a few anecdotal evidences.

Another player adding to the list of long lived bingo fanatics is Mark Cwiek. She too is a big fan of bingo players and indulges in the fun of playing these games for at least an hour that is between 3PM and 4PM. Passing her time with bingo play is one of the activities she shares with 40 other residents of her care home. There was a similar report in the year 2009 where in Anne Webster from Shipley, Yorkshire gained prominence for her addiction to online bingo. She too was 102 years old. Joseph Frey Perry, 101 year old was also known for being an avid bingo player before she died.

Well, the aforementioned does hint on the fact that there is a bit of connectivity between playing bingo and a human being’s life span. The two are directly proportional to each other. The latter automatically increases with the increase in the former. Even before, there have been discussions about the benefits of bingo play and a quite a number of it have been mentioned about the same.

The major component is the aspect of socialization associated with the games that adds to the health benefits and that in turn with longevity. Socially active people tend to live longer. Mixing around with other people automatically adds a lot of positivity by making a person happy and alert. On the other hand, being alone makes a person depressed. Being socially connected with people around makes a person stay happy as the brain is in constant active mode. Something similar happens when playing bingo too. Playing bingo lets the brain utilize sight, hearing and hand and eye co-ordination too. With multitude of things in constant action will automatically lead to mental alertness. Being mentally alert delays the onset of Alzheimer’s symptoms.

Bingo games anyways originated as a passion of the old players. Although, the game does not require physical exertion but does require a lot of focus and concentration and that in turn benefits our brains. Keeping the brain healthy is very important to live a healthy and long life. And, bingo provides benefits in four major categories: mental, social, physical and psychological. And, certainly not missing out to mention about the fun element – the most important of all! Therefore, play bingo and live longer !

In the era we live today, cost and distance does not matter when it is all about communicating to people. Internet, telecommunications and the efforts to make continuous up gradations in technology allows us to live in a world where in communicating is just a matter of seconds.

Five years ago, WhatsApp got introduced with a simple mission and that was building a product that can be used across globally. Facebook has acquired the messaging app, WhatsApp for a deal worth $19 billion (£11.4 billion). And, so far this is the biggest acquisition for this social networking giant.

Mark Zuckerberg, founder and chief executive of Facebook, said: “WhatsApp is on a path to connect one billion people. The services that reach that milestone are all incredibly valuable.”

The WhatsApp messenger is a smartphone messenger available for all Android devices. The messenger allows users to send across messages, picture, audio notes and video messages to other users absolutely free. The app just has to be downloaded to the devices and using 3G or Wi-Fi, information can be exchanged amongst the users. They made revenue by charging users a subscription fee of $1 per year. The company claims of registering one million users on a daily basis.

The deal to buy it includes $19 billion in which $4 billion is in cash, $12 worth of Facebook shares plus and additional of $3 billion in stock to WhatsApp founders and employees until date.

Jan Koum, co-founder and chief executive of WhatsApp, said: “WhatsApp’s extremely high user engagement and rapid growth are driven by the simple, powerful and instantaneous messaging capabilities we provide. We’re excited and honoured to partner with Mark and Facebook as we continue to bring our product to more people around the world.”

In a conference call, Jan Koum stated that he will continue to operate the firm independently and he is really excited to partner with Mark Zuckerberg and bring the product to the reach of more people. Mark Zuckerberg described WhatsApp services as absolutely incredible. He believed that WhatsApp was on track to have billions of users, however he did not have much plans to place any kind of advertising on WhatsApp interface. WhatsApp will continue to operate independently within Facebook, probably would function to complement the existing chat and messaging services by providing new tools for the community.

Facebook messenger is already a widely used for chatting with Facebook friends and WhatsApp is used for communicating with all your contacts and small groups of people. However, WhatsApp’s messaging product and Facebook’s existing Messenger app will continue to operate as standalone applications.

WhatsApp was already a fantastic tool for communication and now its association with Facebook is certain to add new developments, taking the company to new heights and leading the way for new opportunities.

Are you the one who is proned to those really bizarre mood swings? A moment you might feel as if you are on top of the world and the very second moment you might feel as why on earth are you living! Women would be quite acquainted with this kind of a problem.

The chemical messengers buzzing inside play a very important role in ruling your body. They just do not take care of your appetite, sex drive, weight, cycle but they take even take care of your emotions. Hormonal weirdness is quite a common problem these days and over it no one has a control over it. Well, there are a few things that you should know that are responsible for screwing up your mental and physical health. The below mentioned are a few reasons:

Addiction to Sweets

Consumption of foods that have too much of sugar content is directly linked to adding weight to your body. Excess pounds in your body can make your body resistant to insulin – the hormone that moves sugar into your bloodstreams so that cells in your body get the required amount of energy.

Stressing out Late at Night

Staying awake until late nights can add to the anxiety levels. Normally, the stress hormone cortisol drops at nigjht time and the same helps you to unwind and sleep. So, getting anxious or tensed in the late hours means your cortisol levels are increasing.

Being an Insomniac

Lack of sleep tends to increase your cortisol levels and this in turn will increase your level of blood sugar. So ensure to snuggle in your couch at the right time and get enough sleep. Else, you would end up junking your system with different kinds of unhealthy food and that is also a way of stressing yourself. When you sleep, the level of hunger related hormone called leptin signals your body that you do not need to eat. Staying awake, your body will not produce the required amount of leptin and this will automatically make you feel hungry the next day. And, automatically your body will be prone to weight gain. Cortisol is the culprit here. Caffeine signals your body to boost the production of cortisol that can make you feel anxious and not in good mindset. So, just limit yourself to two cups of caffeine every day.

Attendance to the Gym

Without regular exercise, your body will not produce the appropriate amount of endorphins. Endorphins are the positive chemicals in the brain that will make you feel positive and alert. It also helps to keep your immune system functioning well by increasing your libido. The more you exercise or move about, the more endorphins your body produces. So ensure to fix up for at least half an hour of work out every day.

Crash Diets: Too much of dieting is bad. You must ensure to consume the appropriate amount of food on a daily basis. A balanced diet is a must.

PMS

Besides all of the above, another reason for women getting cranky is PMS. Generally, women have the habit of reaching out to sweets during their PMS. Instead of reaching out for something sweet, there are other foods too that can take care of your mood swings during PMS and they are: wine, sweet potatoes, skimmed milk and spinach.